Champions breathe life into Glenwood’s parks

Bulwer Park (leads off Lena Ahrens, Bulwer, Helen Joseph and Bath).

Park Champions are leading the efforts to make Glenwood’s nine parks safer and more beautiful. Pigeon Valley UIP chairperson Cindy May gives an update.

The parks of Glenwood are being brought to life by the PVUIP and dedicated champions, the centrepiece of a placemaking initiative to give back to the people of Glenwood the use of their pretty green spaces. The nine parks are:

• Meyrick Bennett Park next to St Augustine’s Hospital (see full story on facing page).

• Bedford Park (cnr Bedford Gardens and Lena Ahrens). This park has big trees and residents use it for dog walking and picnics. Residents, with PVUIP support, had artist Giffy do a mural on the walls along one side. The PVUIP facilitated free Jazz in the Park earlier this year. Nick Alcock and Clive Greenstone are the Park Champions.

• Kingsley Park (Kingsley Garden and ZK Matthews). It has rockeries and some play equipment. Park Champion Sonya Jardine has worked with the PVUIP green team to breathe beauty and life into this space. 

• Lookout Park (between Evans and Cedar). City Gate Church adopted the park and, with funding support from the PVUIP towards a caretaker, pruned the trees, cleared the bushes and made the space usable, safer and beautiful.

• Edmonds Park (cnr Edmonds and Albert Dlomo). Eleez Loots is the Park Champion of this quaint, peaceful community park with trees and a children’s play area. The PVUIP is liaising with the council to see if the kerning can be fixed. 

• Alan Paton Park (cnr JB Marks and Alan Paton). Noticeable because of the aloes along JB Marks which are in bloom. The PVUIP has fixed the stairs and is working on revistalising the play equipment. Joy Wisedale is the Park Champion.

• Penzance Park (off Rick Turner, Newlyn and Penzance). Access is via a servitude off these roads. This park needs a Park Champion.

• Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve. Home to monkeys, birdlife and duiker. Crispin Hemson is the nature reserve champion of this natural gem. He works tirelessly with WESSA and the Friends of Pigeon Valley to eradicate the alien vegetation and uplift the reserve.

• Bulwer Park (Lena Ahrens, Bulwer, Helen Joseph and Bath). On the border of the PVUIP precinct. The PVUIP has partnered with the Glenwood GUIP to ensure it is cared for to become safer and cleaner.

Open spaces enriched by the PVUIP and local residents and businesses are:

• Glenwood Gateway (cnr Lena Ahrens and Alan Paton)

• Ayott triangle (by Glenwood Bakery behind the substation)

• Ormiston triangle near Fulham Bakery

• Ormiston triangle 2 (intersection of Ormiston Place and Lena Ahrens

• King George V Triangle (where Mazisi Kunene meets King George V Road by the corner of Pigeon Valley Reserve).